The San Jose Sharks and forward Tomas Hertl agreed to an eight-year contract extension on Wednesday. 

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports that the deal carries an average annual value of $8.1375 million, with a three-year no-move clause, followed by a five-year limited no-trade clause. 

A native of Prague, Hertl is in the final season of a four-year, $22.5 million deal signed ahead of the 2018 season.

Hertl, 28, is in his ninth NHL season, all coming with the Sharks.

The 17th overall pick of the 2012 NHL Draft has appeared in 59 games this season, notching 25 goals and 23 assists. His best season offensively came in 2018-2019 when he had 35 goals and 74 points.

“Tomas has evolved into a premier top-line centerman in the league, competing against the NHL’s best players every single night and delivering significant results,” assistant general manager Joe Will said. “There are few centermen in the NHL with his combination of physical and dynamic play and he is a player that you build a franchise around. We are fortunate to have two of the league’s top centermen on one team with Tomas and Logan Couture."

The Sharks entered the day in 13th place in the Western Conference and are in danger of missing the playoffs for a third straight season for the first time in franchise history.

But they still made the decision to build around Hertl rather than try to deal him away for draft picks or prospects.